Lomography: My new obsession

Back in December I talked about how the best camera is the one you always have with you and showed you several photos I have done with my iPhone. Most of them were taken with Hipstamatic or Instagram since I really love the vintage feel they give a photo. I still love those apps and the look – but for Christmas, I actually take the plunge: I got an analogue camera – yes, really, with a roll of film in the back and everything. I had been playing with the thought for a while now but never took the plunge. However, when i visited a little store in Frankfurt in December, they were selling some of the cameras by the Lomography Society – which is basically trying to bring back analogue and is reengineering a lot of old camera bodies and also selling the films for them. They are relatively cheap, too (compared to a modern digital that is) and some even come with interchangable lenses!

If you are thinking: that looks like plastic – that is because it is plastic. This beauty is as mechanic as you can probably get and weighs next to nothing. It doesn’t even need a battery (well, the flash does). It takes 120 film rolls, which can mostly only be found in photography stores, since it’s a format that isn’t widespread anymore and the resulting pictures are squares. It comes with a 75mm lens but you also get a 55mm one as well as a 110mm zoom lens and a closeup lens. Even a fisheye is available. With a camera like that you never know what you results will look like…

At the moment this is still the challenge for me, since you can only set the Aperture (based on a system of weather conditions) and the focus distance. I get the settings wrong way more often than I get it right but that is part of the charm, you never know, what your photos are going to look like and it’s a way more conscious photographing than with a digital – at least for me. You only have so many shots and you want to do the scene you see justice – which can be hard to do when playing with a new toy. But sometimes you succeed with stunning results!

By now the bug has totally infiltrated me, I also now own a Diana Mini (Special Valentines Edition), which takes 35mm film (the one you probably think of when thinking film) and can shoot half-frames, which is half the format of a regular 35mm film photo, which can give interesting results since you can set contrasting images up in one frame (once I get the hang of how much to wind my film). This camera also has taken up permanent residency in my purse….

But part of the fun is also sharing the photos and articles on lomography.com where you can even get points you can use in their online shop to buy new goodies and films (you can register here and get 10 points, which is equal to 10 off in your currency). My next purchase will be the Sprocket Rocket, once I have enough points, which shoots panoramic images on 35mm film and also exposes the sprocket holes on the edges of the film, which I think is a very interesting look.